[CNN] Malawi's albinos are at risk of "total extinction" amid escalating attacks against them for their body parts, the United Nations warned.
Albinism is a genetic condition that leads to little or no pigment in the eyes, skin and hair. The southern African nation has about 10,000 albinos, according to the U.N.
In some African countries, albinos' body parts are believed to bring wealth and good luck. As a result, attackers chop off their limbs and pluck out organs, and sell them to witchdoctors.
Even after albinos are killed, some attackers go a step further and steal their remains from graveyards, said Ikponwosa Ero, the United Nations' expert on albinism.
"Persons with albinism, and parents of children with albinism, constantly live in fear of attack," she said.
"Many do not sleep peacefully and have deliberately restricted their movement to the necessary minimum."
Ero, who's an albino, recently visited Malawi, which has seen an increasing number of attacks.
Since the end of 2014, there have been 65 recorded cases of attacks, the U.N. said.
Ero urged the government to step in to protect albinos and go after their killers more aggressively.
"It is clear that an urgent and coordinated response from the government, civil society and development partners working in strong partnership with each other is required," she said. She called for better training for police and those who work for the court system, saying punishment for those who attack albinos is not stringent enough.
"As pointed out by various stakeholders during my visit, stealing a cow may attract a higher penalty," she said. Albinism is not limited to countries such as Tanzania, Burundi and Malawi.
In the United States, about one in 20,000 people have some type of albinism. But in countries such as Tanzania, the number can be as high as one in 1,500.
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In some African countries, albinos' body parts are believed to bring wealth and good luck.
Excellent margins as well, according to Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately the poaching of elephant and rhino horns gets much more press. It's the threat to tourism and game farms, the negative financial impacts thing. Lots of people, much fewer rhino.
[Dhaka Tribune] Police have placed in durance vile Book 'im, Mahmoud! two sons of a Bangladeshi couple who were rubbed out inside their house in Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,.
Hasib Bin Golam Rabbi, 22, and his 17-year-old brother were taken into custody on Thursday, reports AP. Police did not disclose the teenager’s name because of his age.
Golam and Shamima Rabbi were found dead inside their San Jose residence on Sunday by friends who came to check on them.
A source told local media ABC7 News off-camera they found a gruesome scene, with the bodies of the couple lying on the hardwood floor, and a message in ink that read: "Sorry, my first kill was clumsy."
According to the report, the couple were popular fixtures at their mosque for three decades and had helped relatives emigrate from their native Bangladesh.
Word of the deaths of Shamima and Golam Rabbi and the arrest of their sons sent shock waves through the close-knit Muslims who perform at nearby Evergreen Islamic Centre.
"Everybody is praying that it is somebody else who did this and not the kids," said Abdul Jaka, a co-founder of the mosque where the couple performed their prayers and attended holiday celebrations and other events. "They were a nice family."
The victims’ nephew Golam Mustakim and his family emigrated from Bangladesh in 2000 and initially stayed with the Rabbis in their four-bedroom home.
Jason Wong, 16, a classmate of the 17-year-old at Evergreen Valley High School, said the junior was "quiet and kept to himself mostly." Wong, also a junior, said he saw the teen on campus on Monday, the day after his parents were found dead.
"I did not think anything was wrong then because I didn’t know his parents had died," Wong said. "But now it seems strange."
Relatives discovered the bodies, and it was not clear how long the couple had been dead, police front man Sgt Enrique Garcia said. No further details were released.
"This is one of those tragedies nobody ever wants to be in," mosque front man Faisal Yazadi said. "All we can do is pray."
It was not immediately clear if the suspects have attorneys.
They were being held without bail. The older son was expected to be in court yesterday. An appearance date for the teen was not immediately available.
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04/30/2016 00:00 ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] A medical student was put behind bars in NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization.... re yesterday afternoon, following the post of an objectionable comment involving religious sentiments on Facebook.
The accused was identified as Khandaker Mahin, a student of the department of surgery and medicine at Kushtia Medical College and son of Golam Mostafa of Shekherhat of Sadar upazila in the district.
OC (investigation) of NATOre Sadar cop shoppe, Nazrul Islam Jewel, said a mosque that was set up in Shekherhat village last year had the donor’s name inscribed on the main entrance.
A man named Mannan from the village published a comment over the matter on Facebook. Mahin posted an unfavourable reply.
Locals became agitated after the remarks went public.
Afterwards, Sadar upazila Chhatra League ... the student wing of the Bangla Awami League ... General Secretary Shohanur Rahman lodged a case against the duo under the Information and Communication Technology Act.
Police forces locked away Please don't kill me! Mahin yesterday. He was sent to jail after being produced before court.
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04/30/2016 00:00 ||
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[REUTERS] Venezuela's opposition-dominated Congress on Thursday ordered the dismissal of Food Minister Rodolfo Marco over chronic shortages of staple goods that have become the primary complaint about President Nicolas Maduro's government.
The opposition majority used a constitutional censure vote to order that Maduro dismiss Marco. Legislators had previously summoned him for questioning over the shortages, but he declined to appear.
"It cannot be that today in Venezuela, 3 million citizens eat less than twice a day, and the majority of them do not eat dairy, meat or eggs," said opposition deputy Carlos Paparoni.
The ruling Socialist Party may simply ignore the censure vote or seek to have it shot down by the Supreme Court, which has routinely sided with Maduro in disputes with Congress since the opposition's legislative elections victory in December.
Responding earlier this month to congressional criticism of Marco, Maduro said "nobody touches the food minister" and that "the revolution will not be censured by anyone, much less an immoral National Assembly," according to local media reports.
The growing difficulties in obtaining staple goods has helped spur the opposition's efforts to seek a recall of Maduro.
A combination of food shortages and electricity rationing contributed to dozens of incidents of looting around the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. Maduro attributed that violence to right-wing conspirators seeking to destabilize his government.
He has criticized the assembly for continuing to hold sessions despite an executive order that the public sector should work only on Mondays and Tuesdays, to save power.
Residents in the Caracas slum of Petare this month said they are eating more starches and skipping meals because they cannot find food or cannot afford to buy what is available.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2016 00:00 ||
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Doesn't Venezuela still have muddy water? Hollow logs?
Beijing denied a US aircraft carrier permission to make a port call in Hong Kong, a US consulate official says, a rejection that comes amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry told the US on Thursday night the visit by the USS John C. Stennis would not be allowed, said the official, who requested anonymity.
"[The ministry] needs to approve every ship coming into Hong Kong. [They] said 'no' to the carrier," the official said, adding the reason for the denial was not clear.
In a written reply to the South China Morning Post's inquiry, the ministry said on Friday night that port calls made by US warships and military aircraft were examined on a "case by case basis in accordance with sovereignty principles and specific circumstances".
Carter flew to the nuclear-powered carrier for a two-hour visit on April 15, as it sailed about 100km west of the Philippine island of Luzon. Experts said the move likely irritated Beijing as Carter was accompanied by his Philippine counterpart, Voltaire Gazmin.
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04/30/2016 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Oil prices pulled back a tick Friday from 2016 peaks, capping a fourth straight week of gains as the market pushed higher supported in part by a weaker dollar.
Traders seemed bent on looking past the global supply glut and media reports of higher OPEC production in favor of optimism that eventually the market will find a balance that would stabilize prices, which have slid from mid-2014 peaks above $100 a barrel.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped 11 cents to $45.92 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
In London, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in June, the European benchmark, lost only one cent at $48.13 a barrel.
Over the course of the week, WTI rose 5.0 percent and Brent 6.7 percent, pushing the month’s gains to around 20 percent for both.
"The supply situation is still a factor in terms of oversupply and I think we rallied as much as we can on the hopes of a rebalancing coming at the end of the year," said John Kilduff of Again Capital.
Also underpinning the market was the dollar’s weakness after the Federal Reserve indicated Wednesday it was in no hurry to raise interest rates and the Bank of Japan’s rejection of more stimulus the next day, which sent the yen soaring, analysts said.
A weak dollar makes oil, priced in the US currency, more affordable for buyers.
"The declining US oil production and a weaker US dollar are giving tailwind to prices, whereas the ongoing oversupply and record-high US crude oil stocks are being ignored," said Commerzbank analysts in a client note Friday.
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Today, Friday, April 29 2016, 2016, the Baltic Dry Index decreased by 7 points, reaching 703 points.
Baltic Dry Index is compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange and covers prices for transported cargo such as coal, grain and iron ore. The index is based on a daily survey of agents all over the world.
Baltic Dry hit a temporary peak on May 20, 2008, when the index hit 11,793. The lowest level ever reached was on Wednesday the 10th of February 2016, when the index dropped to 290 points.
The rising trend in the Baltic Dry Index, the benchmark for dry bulk freight, has failed to enthuse Indian shipping companies because most see it as a blip that does not reflect the trade situation.
The Index is at 690, up 70 per cent month on month and 95 per cent in the last three months. “There is nothing to be excited about. The jump is purely momentary,” said an executive with the Shipping Corporation of India.
The grain harvest season in South America is the cause for the blip because freight rates from the region to China have improved. “If the index continues to rise, it will reflect in freight rates for domestic shipping companies,” said an executive with Essar Shipping. “This could lead to $8,000-10,000 freight per day, which will help companies cover their interest costs,” he added.
Shipping Corporation of India, Great Eastern Shipping, and Essar Shipping are leaders in the Indian shipping market.
“The trade routes that make up the dry bulk index do not include any of India’s routes. This index is more of a sentiment gauge for Indian shipping companies,” said an executive with Equator Maritime.
“The dry bulk situation remains poor for Indian shipping companies when exports are falling,” he added.
India was one of the world’s top iron ore exporting countries before the financial crisis hit. Duties on some minerals have discouraged exporters, hurting overall trade.
“Also the problem for bulk cargo in coastal shipping is there is no return cargo available. Shipping companies do not find it effective to run vessels along the coast,” said the executive with Equator Maritime.
“There are decent earnings in the tanker division for crude as well as refined products. Low crude oil prices are helping tanker companies,” said the Essar Shipping executive.
[DAWN] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... was on Thursday admitted at the Pakistain Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for several hours for the treatment of a stomach problem.
The JUI chief was kept under observation and after a number of tests discharged in the evening with an advice to have complete bed rest and avoid spicy and oily diet.
Maulana Rehman, who has been suffering from diabetes for over 10 years, was seen by gastroenterologists Dr Qurratul Ain Haider and Dr Waseem Khawaja.
Dr Khawaja later told Dawn that spicy and oily diet was the major cause of the stomach problem.
"As the diet was not healthy, it caused swelling in the stomach. Injections were given to decrease the swelling," he said.
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"and a new Cannon Towel™"
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Oil prices pulled back a tick Friday from 2016 peaks, capping a fourth straight week of gains as the market pushed higher supported in part by a weaker dollar.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
